1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a dispenser for, and a method of, safely and efficiently dispensing sheet materials, particularly metallic foil, as well as to a method of wrapping items with the dispensed foil.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been well known, for both commercial and domestic purposes, to dispense sheet wrapping materials, such as metallic foil, plastic film, waxed paper, paper and the like. The sheet wrapping material was often supplied in a roll mounted for rotation in a cardboard box. For domestic purposes, the roll was relatively light in weight and of small capacity so that the box could be easily held in a user's hand, and a leading end region of the sheet could be pulled out of the box with the other hand. For commercial purposes, the roll was of greater capacity and heavier so that the box typically rested on a support surface, such as a countertop, and the user pulled the leading end region of the sheet out of the thus-supported box.
In the conventional parallelepiped-shaped box for dispensing aluminum foil, a serrated cutting blade having a row of generally triangularly-shaped, small, closely-spaced, sharp teeth was fixedly mounted on the front wall of the box so that the teeth projected beyond the upper edge of the front wall. A top cover was hingedly connected to the rear wall of the box. The foil was unwound from the bottom of the roll along the inside of the front wall and, in order to sever a desired length of the withdrawn foil, the trailing end region of the foil was urged against one side, e.g. the right side, of the serrated cutting blade, and thereupon, the foil was severed across its width from its right side toward its left side in a progressive piercing/tearing action.
Although accepted for its intended purpose, the known conventional dispenser for dispensing metallic foil has not proven to be safe, efficient, and reliable in use. For example, the small, closely-spaced, sharp teeth of the cutter blade were constantly exposed, and could cut and injure a user, particularly if the user was compelled, under certain circumstances, to reach into the box in the immediate vicinity of the cutter blade to grasp the free leading end region of the foil, especially if the user happened to move his hand lengthwise of, and in contact with, the blade. Sometimes the cutter blade was not mounted correctly at the upper marginal portion of the front wall of the box so that the teeth did not extend, or at least only partially extended, past the upper edge of the box, thereby causing either no or, at best, uneven, cutting of the foil. Often, the trailing end region of the preceding foil fell back into the box, and the user was compelled to grope around in the box to grasp the next leading end region. This, of course, was very time consuming, especially in assembly-line wrapping operations.
Another problem associated with the conventional foil dispenser was that the top cover was usually lifted out of the way each time the user wished to grasp the next leading end region of the foil. This was such an annoyance to many users that the top cover was often torn off the box, thereby enabling dirt, germs, crumbs and other contaminants, and vermin to enter the box. This was a health hazard, particularly in those applications where food was being wrapped, and sanitation was of the utmost importance.
The physical characteristics of the metallic foil itself also rendered the conventional box dispenser inefficient. Metallic foil, e.g. aluminum, has a very low shear resistance and tends to rip, i.e. "run", in any direction that a stress occurs. A nick anywhere in the aluminum foil can cause a rip along an undesired path. Each tooth on the cutter blade was capable of starting its own uncontrolled rip. Any such uncontrolled rip ruined the withdrawn length of the foil so that another length was typically withdrawn, thereby wasting foil.
As noted previously, the foil withdrawn from the conventional dispenser was severed by tearing the foil from side to side on the saw-like teeth. This could cause little specks of foil to be sawed off the foil and to be found on the item being wrapped, an obviously undesirable result in food-wrapping applications. Also, the user's hands often struck the tabletop on which the dispenser rested during the side-to-side severing of the foil. Furthermore, when the roll was almost spent, the conventional box tended to tip and fall forwardly, due to the low weight of the roll, when the user pulled the leading end region of the foil from the roll with the same force that the user exerted when the roll was fresh and, therefore, heavier.
Dispensers for dispensing sheet materials were disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,586,639, 4,598,531; 4,646,995; and 4,610,407, as well as in the prior art identified in said patent applications and patent.